Glossary

Awards: I hand out a variety of awards each year at February’s Clash of the Trivia Titans. In addition to the trophies and prizes for the several highest scoring teams, many non-competitive trophies (which you, the players, select) are awarded: Best Shit-Talkers, Favorite Foes, Spirit Bunny Award, Favorite Venue, Best Bartender, etc.

Barfly Brain Drain Trivia Bus:Miss Jen Lane of Barfly Fame has been hosting super-fun (but safe!) boozehound buses in Portland for over a decade, and I am honored helm the annual trivia bus! The winning team of four or fewer players wins $100 cash! I know you want to be part of the 2013 lore (buy tickets for the October 12th adventure here!), but here is the story of the 2007 bus . . .

Birthday Smackdown Week: My birthday just so happens to fall at the halfway mark to the Clash of the Trivia Titans. To serve as a reminder of this forthcoming championship, and to give players a chance to ask the trivia jockey questions for a change, throughout the last week of August, triviologists get a chance to earn points by stumping me at the end of each quiz!

Carpetbaggers: The team Yankee Go Home invented this term for successful teams which venture forth from their home venue to defeat Triviologists at another venue.

Clash of the Trivia Titans: This trivia championship occurs in February of each year. The event loosely marks the anniversary of ShanRock’s Triviology (quiz #1 was 1/26/05), and also marks the beginning and end of each “trivia season.”

The Deuce: This is the two-point set of information in the I Am A Walrus round. I also try to use the word “deuce” as many times as possible on any given night, because it is fun to say.

Dum-Dums: Candy received for answering an I Am A Walrus incorrectly. They help soothe the agony of defeat.

Leprekey: A monkey who also happens to be a leprechaun. The Triviology mascot/logo/pet is the leprekey.

Lunar Quiz: We used to host monthly themed trivia nights called “lunar quizzes.” Now, the theme quizzes are held every other Thursday at La Merde…but we still call them lunar quizzes just cuz. Here is a list of the hundreds of themed games we have hosted!

Natalie Portmanteau: This is one of my signature question types. Combine the titles of two different films to form one new title for one point (ex: Luke Skywalker + Walker, Texas Ranger = Luke SkyWalker, Texas Ranger!).

Nerds: Candy I give out whimsically throughout the night. Here are a few actions which have warranted free Nerds: doing the Humpty Dance, doing a Peter Lorre impression, humming the “The More You Know” theme, and juggling.

Night Moves: A player commits a “night move” by giving away the answer to a trivia question before it is even asked. For example, loudly singing a certain 1976 Bob Seger song right before I start the music ID round . . . in which I play the very same song. Team Boyfight is the Queen of the Night Move. Not to be confused with “Trivette’s Syndrome,” which occurs after a question is asked (see entry).

Ogre: This creature, who is named after Frederick Palowaski, is a rare sight in a Triviology bar. This fellow cannot believe there are actually people in a bar playing trivia, and also cannot find the words to express his indignation. Thusly, he merely gapes and stares while he tries in vain to think of a sick burn on us, for you see . . . he is as drunk as he is dumb (unlike Triviologists, who are drunk and smart!).

Olympian Open: The first of two competitions which comprise the annual Clash of The Trivia Titans. Anyone is welcome to play in the Olympian Open, and the team victorious becomes the wild card team which goes on to compete against the winningest teams of the year in the Titan Invitational.

Prizes: Prizes are awarded at the end of each pub quiz. Most venues offer gift certificates as awards, but others (La Merde!) may offer T-shirts, and Sewickly’s even gives cash to the champions! I often supplement lunar pub quizzery prizes with trophies for the victors!

Pub Quiz: The same exact thing as a trivia night. To say there’s a difference is like saying that a film is different from a movie . . . what matters is the quality of the particular movie you’re seeing, regardless of whether it is called a film or a movie.

Queers vs. Breeders Trivia Showdown: An annual trivia game we host as a fundraiser for Basic Rights Oregon during Pride Week. Questions range from Don Draper’s representation of a proper heterosexual marriage, to important milestones in gay rights, to the most fabulous figure skaters in the world.

Scarves: My hand-knit scarves are the official uniform of the Clash of the Trivia Titan champions (additional clothing optional). These shamrock-green beauties bear white stripes which represent the years I have been making the trivia (I’m currently working on the 7-stripers). I’m a regular Madame Defarge!

Shenanigans: A team may call “Shenanigans!” if they catch someone cheating. Mind you, this is very rare – in eight and a half years, I’ve only busted four teams doing so. It’s always fun to mock those who actually cheat at TRIVIA. Herein is one such story.

Smarties: Candy you get for answering an I Am A Walrus correctly. They accentuate the thrill of victory.

Switcheroo: Teams switch answer sheets with each other at the end of each round; when I call “Switcheroo!,” it is time to write down your final answer and hand it over!

Titan Invitational: The second of two competitions which comprise the annual Clash of The Trivia Titans. Anyone is welcome to play in the Olympian Open, and the team victorious becomes the wild card team which goes on to compete against the winningest teams of the year in the Titan Invitational.

Traitor Trivia: Every so often, one of my teams ventures forth to supplement their Triviology fix at one of the plethora of local pub quizzes that has popped up in my wake; Fellatio Hornblower has deemed such a practice “traitor trivia.” Mind you, they do so with my blessing; there is plenty of room in this town for all of us!

Trivette’s Syndrome: We are all occasionally victims of this phenomenon, wherein a player exclaims an answer audibly enough for opposing teams to hear. This usually occurs due to uncontrollable enthusiasm for the subject matter. Not to be confused with “Night Moves” (see entry) which occur before a question is even asked.

Trivia Jockey: I came up with this term to describe what I do – the title is a nod to what a karaoke jockey does (hosting a group of people having fun doing something they all love!). A gathering of trivia jockeys is called a “query” of TJs. Here is my query.

Trivia Night: The same exact thing as a pub quiz. To say there’s a difference is like saying that a film is different from a movie . . . what matters is the quality of the particular movie you’re seeing, regardless of whether it is called a film or a movie.

Triviaoke: In this round, we play a well known song, and stop it at a random point, then you provide the next line of lyrics. This round is usually reserved for a music-heavy theme quiz, such as Grease or Purple Rain.

Triviology:My friend Dave came up with this title to describe my pub quizzery. His band is good, so you should go see them.

Whisper Paper: Scratch paper which I supply. The first team I heard call it “whisper paper” was Willocalypse, because one of their members has trouble controlling his excitement when he knows the answers . . . which is frequently. Now, he speaks with his pen.